Queen Camilla reacted with amusement during a conversation about US politics as she attended a service marking a major milestone for the Guild of St Bride at the historic “journalists’ church” in Fleet Street.
The service was held at St Bride’s Church to celebrate the 650th anniversary of the guild, which received royal approval in 1375 during the reign of King Edward III. Camilla serves as patron of the guild.
Dressed in a dark green blazer and matching skirt and wearing a feathered hat, the Queen joined members of the congregation for a service recognising the organisation’s long-standing support of journalism. She later spoke with students who benefit from the guild’s bursary scheme.
During a visit to the church crypt, Camilla met Rozina Sabur, the national security editor at The Telegraph, who previously received the £4,000 bursary while studying journalism at City, St George’s, University of London.
Ms Sabur told the Queen she had spent eight years reporting on US politics from Washington DC before moving into her current role. Camilla responded that the work sounded “very interesting”, prompting laughter.
“Yes, never boring,” Ms Sabur replied.
“Never boring,” the Queen echoed, with a laugh.
The Queen also met Charlotte Galea, 23, from Chatham in Kent, the latest recipient of the bursary, who is currently studying for a master’s degree in journalism.
Queen Camilla weighs in on US politics with ‘never boring’ remark
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When Ms Galea explained she hoped to pursue a career writing features or opinion pieces, Camilla replied: “I hope it goes well, I’m sure it will.”
“It was very surreal,” Ms Galea said after meeting the Queen.
“I commute to uni, so I woke up this morning in my mum’s house in Kent, got the bus to the train station, and I was like, ‘I’m going to be meeting Her Majesty’.
“She was really lovely, really, really kind. Very ordinary, exactly what you would want from a royal.”
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Queen Camilla attended a service at St Bride’s on Fleet Street
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Ms Galea said the bursary means “everything” to her, explaining that it had opened doors that would otherwise have remained closed.
“I wouldn’t be able to get into journalism without it; it’s so closed off to people who don’t have money,” she said.
“It was a lifeline, really. I feel so equipped to go out into the world and do the things I really want to do.”
St Bride’s Church has a long association with the Royal Family. The late Queen Elizabeth II attended a rededication service there in 1957 alongside the late Duke of Edinburgh, following the church’s restoration after being damaged in the Blitz.
Queen Camilla with Mark Bolland, the former assistant private secretary to King Charles
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In 1975, King Charles, then Prince of Wales, also attended a service at the church to mark the guild’s 600th anniversary.
The rector, the Rev Canon Dr Alison Joyce, has previously described St Bride’s as a “spiritual home” for those working in printing and journalism.
The church’s connection to publishing dates back centuries. In 1500, Wynkyn de Worde established London’s first printing press beside St Bride’s, with national newspapers later clustering around Fleet Street.
Inside the church is the Journalists’ Altar, dedicated to members of the profession who have died or who are missing or held hostage. An annual service is held there in their memory.
